Train-pipe coupling.



No. 888,289. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

E. B. WITTB. v

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLIQATION FILED OUT. 21, 1907. 2 SHEETS SHBET 1- MFIIWW WITNESSES UVVENTOH page/m5. 7/5522? ATTORNEYS gWW UNITED STATES EUGENE BARTON WITTE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.-

Application filed October 21, 1907. Serial No. 398,348.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE BARTON VITTE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Train-Pipe Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in 'train pipe couplers employed for securing together the ends of pipes carried on railroad trains for use in an air brake system, a train signal, or a steam heating system, and relates more particularly to certain improvements over the construction disclosed and claimed in my prior application, Serial No. 383,126, filed July 10, 1907. In my improved system disclosed in said patent, the coupling together of two cars automatically couples together the ends of the pipes and opens the valves at the end of said pipes, whereby the air, steam, or other fluid may readily pass thcrethrough. The separating of the cars automatically closes these valves and prevents the escape of fluid through the ends of the pipes.

In air brake systems it is necessary to per- Init the air to escape from the detached. car in order to apply the brakes, and for this purpose I' provide a short conduit ccmnecting with the interior of the train pipe at the coupling and having two valves disposed therein. The innermost of these valves is normally closed to prevent the escape of air but is automatically and positively opened as the cars are separated. The outermost valve in the conduit may be automatically or manually opened, as desired, for permitting the escape of the air and the setting of the brakes.

In the improved construction hereinafter described, I provide means whereby this valve may be automatically opened by air pressure, or may be manually locked in either its open or its closed position. In case the valve is left locked in its closed position on any particular car and this car is later connected in a train, the air could freely pass through the train pipe without giving any indication to the trainman that the valve was locked in its closed position. It might happen that the train would later break apart at this point, and as the air could not escape from the detached car, the brakes of that section of the train would not be applied.

I To avoid this possibility, I provide in my 1 construction, means operated by the coupling together of adjacent cars for automatically unlocking the valve from its closed position and permitting the valve to be opened by air pressure. It will be noted that this does not permit of an immediate escape of the air, as the coupling together of the cars opens the inner valve of the short conduit. The valve-locking mechanism is connected to a suitable operating device, whereby the trainman may operate the valve from the platform of the car, or from any other suitable point, and the mechanism carries a springpressed pin for normally holding the locking mechanism from accidental engagement.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar charactersof reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a coupler constructed in accm'dance with my invention Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion thereof, partly in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3*3 of Fig. 1; Figs. l, 5 and 6 are views showing the valve-locking and operating mechanism in its three separate positions; and .Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the operating mechanism for the valve-locking and operating device.

In the specific form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, all of the parts are substantially identical with those shown in the previous application above referred to, save the casing bearing the air outlet valve and the mechanism for operating said valve. A yoke 10 pivotally supports the cylinder 11, which latter is connected at one end by a conduit 12 to the train pipe of the car and by a telescoping tube 12 with a corresponding tube of the adjacent coupler. The tube 12 is normally hold in its outermost position by a coil spring 13, and when in said position the port 14 at the inner end of the tube is closed, the end of the tube cooperating with the end of the cylinder to form a valve. Into the cylinder, adjacent its outer end, is threaded or otherwise rigidly secured, a casing 15 having a passageway or conduit 16 leading therethrough and adapted to establish communication between the interior of the cylinder and the outside atmosphere. This conduit or passageway is closed by two separate valves, the inner valve 17 opening inwardly and being connected to a lever 18 lying in the path of a portion of the inner end of the tube 12 so that as two adjacent cars are separated and the tubes are forced outward by their springs 13, the valve 17 of each coupler is positively opened. The valve is held shut by the action of a spring 19 when the cars are attached together and the tubes are forced inward to the position shown in Fig. 1. WVithin the casing is a second valve 20 opening outward and normally held closed by the action of a coil spring 21. This spring is of such strength that upon the opening of the valve 17, a portion of the air within the train pipe of the detached car may escape past the valve 20, enough of the air escaping to cause the brakes to be applied. This portion of the structure is substantially the same as that shown in my previous application, the novel mechanism involving means for positively and mechanically locking the outer springpressed valve 20 in its open or in its closed position, and for automatically releasing the locking mechanism and returning it to its normal spring-pressed position upon the coupling together of the cars. For accomplishing this object, the casing 15 is provided with an outwardly-extending threaded boss 22 receiving a threaded sleeve 23, which lat ter acts as a guide for the valve stem 24 of the valve 20. The sleeve 23 is perforated so that the air escaping past the valve may freely escape to the outside atmosphere. The valve stem carries two stops 25 and 26 thereon, preferably in the form of lock nuts adjustable longitudinally of the valve rod; and surrounding the boss 22, and mounted to move longitudinally thereof, I provide a sleeve 27, which engages with the valve stem intermediate the projections or stops 25 and 26. The spring for holding the valve 20 in its closed position is disposed within the boss 22 and is mounted with its ends in engagement with the outer surface of the valve and the inner end of the threaded sleeve 23.

When the sleeve 27 is moved outward, it engages with the stop 26 and positively opens the valve 20 against the action of the spring; while when the sleeve 27 is moved inward into engagement with the stop 25, it positively prevents the valve from being opened by air pressure. Any suitable mechanism may be provided for moving this sleeve inward or outward, but, preferably, the threaded boss 22 carries a pin 28 extending through a cam slot 29 in the sleeve 27. As the sleeve is rotated, it is simultaneously moved longitudinally by the engagement of the stationary pin 28 with the cam slot 29. The normal position of the sleeve 27 is that illus end of the sleeve 27 lying adjacent the stop- 26. When the sleeve is rotated to the pos1- tion shown in Fig. 5, the sleeve engages positively with the stop 25 and revents the valve from being opened; whi e when the sleeve is rotated to the opposite position, namely, that shown in Fig. 6, the sleeve has engaged with the stop 26 and lifted the valve from its seat.

The outer end of the sleeve 27 carries an arm or lever 30, normally extending in a substantially vertical position, and in engagement with said lever or with the sleeve is any suitable form of mechanism, whereby the sleeve may be rotated by the brakeman or other railroad employee. This mechanism may include a set of bevel gears, shafts and universal joints, or may, as illustrated in Fig. 7, include a vertically-disposed shaft 31 having a flexible section 32, the end of which is supported within a stationary bracket 33. Inside the bracket, the end of the flexible section is illustrated as being provided with a clutch 34 having projections engaging with opposite sides of the lever 30. As the shaft 31 is rotated the clutch 34 is caused to swing and operate the lever 30 and the sleeve. It is, of course, understood that my invention is not in any way limited to the specific operating mechanism shown in Fig. 7. Adjacent the operating handle 35 of the shaft 31, a dial 36 may be provided, over which a pointer may move to indicate the position of the sleeve and the position of the valve 20. Similar indicating mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, in which the casing 15 carries a pointer 37 terminating adjacent the outer surface of the sleeve 27, which letter is marked with three letters C, N, and O, to indicate when the valve 20 is in its closed, neutral or open position.

- The cam slot 29 is so disposed that to positively lock the valve 20 in its closed position,

the lever arm 30 must be rotated toward the I coupler of the adjacent bar; in other words, to the position indicated in dotted lines at the right-hand side of Fig. 2 while to lock the valve in its open position, the lever 30 is moved to the osition indicated in dotted lines at the left-hand side of Fig. 2. Should any of the valves 20 of the train be locked in their closed position when the cars are coupled up and the train should later break apart at the coupler bearing said closed valve, the air could not escape from the detached section of the train to cause an application of the brakes. To provide against this contingency, I rovide means for positively rotating the seeve 27 and arm 30 to bring them from the closed to the neutral position by the act of coupling together the cars,

As shown, the tube 12 at its outer end bears a bracket 38, which bracket carries a yoke 39 having sliding engagement on the sleeve 27 between the lever 30 and a collar 40. This yoke carries a pivoted dog 41 having an upwardly-extemling operating end and a horizontally-disposed weighted end. The lever arm 30 carries a laterally-extending lug, projection, or pin 42, which when the lever is moved to the closed position, comes within the horizontal path of the dog. The act of coupling together two adjacent cars forces the tubes 12 of the couplers in- Ward and forces the yoke from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '2 to the po sition indicated in solid lines. It the valve is in its closed position, the lever arm will occupy the position to the right and will be engaged by the dog, and the lever will be forced to its upright or neutral position. Should the lever 30 be moved to positively close the valve while the cars. are still coupled together, the uncoupling of the cars causes the dog to move from under the pin 42, due to the pivotal mounting of said dog, and to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Then the re-coupling of the cars would operate to restore the'valvedocking mechanism to its neutral position.

In order to hold the arm and sleeve in the desired position and to prevent them from accidentally rotating to affect the valve, I provide the mechanism illustrated in section in Fig. 3. The inner boss 22 is provided with a recess in its outer surface, and into the sleeve 27 is threaded a hollow casing 43 in such a position to cover the recess when the valve-locking mechanism is in its neutral or inoperative position. \Vithin the casing 43 is a pin 44 pressed inward by a spring 45 andhaving the inner end thereof adapted to engage in the recess of the boss. The recess is somewhat rounded, as is also the inner end of the pin, as clearly shown. Any slight tendency of the sleeve to rotate due to jarring action is resisted by the pin, but the sleeve may be positively rotated when desired. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a spring-pressed air escape valve, and manually-controlled means for locking said valve in its closed position.

2. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a spring-pressed air escape valve, means for locking said valve in its closed position, and means for disengaging said locking means upon the coupling up ol the cars carrying said couplers.

3. In an air-brake system, a coupler having' an air escape valve, locking means adapted to prevent movement of said valve, and means for disengaging said locking means upon the coupling up of the cars carrying said couplers.

4. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a springpressed air escape valve, and means for locking it in its open or closed position.

5. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a spring-pressed air escape valve, means for locking it in its open or closed position, and a stop for normally holding said locking means in an inoperative position.

6. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a valve controlling the [low of air therethrough, an air escape valve, locking means adapted to engage therewith, and a stop for normally holding said locking means in an inoperative position.

7. An air-brake coupler, including a cylinder, a valve in connection therewith for controlling the [low of air to and from the cylinder and adapted to be closed by the detaching ol a car carrying said coupler, a spri1'1g pressed air escape valve in communicatiol'l witlrsaid cylinder, and manually-controlled locking means 'lorholding said valve in its closed position.

8. An air-brake coupler, including a cylinder, a valve in connection therewith for controlling the flow ol air to and from the. cylinder and adapted to be closed by the detaching 01 a car carrying said coupler, a spring-pressed escape valve in communication with said cylinder, manually-controlled locking means for holding said valve in its closed position, and means for disengaging said locking means upon the coupling up of the car carrying said coupler.

9. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a valve for controlling the flow of air through said coupler, means for closing said valve upon the detaching of the coupler, a conduit communication with said coupler, an

, air escape valve in said coupler, means for" locking said valve in its closed position, and means for releasing said locking means upon the coupling up of the car carrying said coupler.

10. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a valve for controlling the flow of air through said coupler, means 'for closing said valve upon the detaching of the coupler, a conduit communicating with said coupler, an air escape valve in said conduit, locking means for holding said valve in its open or closed position, and means for preventing said locking means from holding the valve in its closed position at the time said coupler is connected to a similar one on an adjacent car.

11. An air-brake coupler, comprising two telescopic members having a passage therethrough, means for closing said passage upon the detaching of the car carrying said coupler, an air escape valve communicating with one of said members, manually-controlled means for locking said valve in its closed position, and means carried by the other member for disengaging said locking means upon the coupling up of said car.

12. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a casing connected thereto, an air escape valve Within said casing, a sleeve mounted upon said casing and rotatable in respect thereto,,to operate the valve, and a springpressed stop carried by said sleeve and adapted to engage with said casing and hold said valve-operatmg sleeve in a predetermined position.

13. In an air-brake system, a coupler having a casing carried thereby, a spring-pressed air escape valve Within said casing, a rotatable sleeve mounted on said casing and having lost motion connections With said valve, means for rotating said sleeve to lock the valve in its open or closed position, and means for normally holding said sleeve in an inoperative position.

14. In an air-brake coupler, the combination of a casing having a spring-pressed air escape valve, a rotatable sleeve operatively connected to said valve, manually-controlled means for rotating said sleeve to lock said valve in its closed position, and means for rotating said sleeve to bring it to its neutral position upon the coupling up of the car carry table member operatively connected to said valve, means for rotating said member to lock the valve in a predetermined position, and means for automatically rotating said member to release said valve upon the coupling up of the car carrying said coupler.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE BARTON WVITTE.

WVitnesses:

FANNIE J. WITTE, S. SUMMUERs. 

